1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electric sockets and, more specifically, to a protective cover and electric outlet arrangement with a non-specific outward design, which has an obstructive means to selectively obstruct entry of a plug and thereby operate as a static protective cover with no specific ornamental design exhibited.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electric wall outlet plugs are usually at a level where children at an early age find them practically at eye level. Since children observe adults pushing plugs into these outlets, their propensity for imitation prompts them to attempt to do the same. Consequently, because they have small fingers, they seek to push their fingers into the slots of the wall outlet. If they reach the hot side of the outlet, this can cause severe electric shock and perhaps death due to any shorting to a ground whereby current is enabled to pass through the child.
Attempts have been made to solve this problem by providing spring-biased rotating discs, for example, on a wall plug which require manual rotation to permit penetration of the plug prongs. Some of these devices require installation by a licensed electrician or they consist of double plugs which can easily be removed by a two or three-year old child. Other more cumbersome box-like protectors require a squeezing action to be removed but these are cumbersome and do not always operate as intended. They project from the wall to the extent that they may be knocked off or fractured by contact with furniture, vacuum cleaners and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,673 was issued to Lee on Apr. 2, 2002 for an electrical outlet cover having a pair of floating socket covers which are resiliently urged toward a first position wherein holes in the floating socket covers are not aligned with holes in the electrical outlet. This floating socket cover by Lee must be rotated from a first position to a second position wherein holes in the socket cover are aligned with holes in the protective cover by Lee and then pushed toward the socket for moving the desired prongs on the plug into the respective desired holes in the socket. While prongs on the plug are moving into holes on the socket the prongs are covered by the floating socket cover to prevent electrical shock resulting from touching prongs of a plug that is partially plugged into the electrical socket.
Illustrative of the intricate approaches to this safety problem is an earlier invention by Lee described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,542, which discloses an oblique spring-loaded plate device that at first look shields the prongs on an electric plug as the plug is being pushed into or removed from an electrical outlet but reveals and allows entry into the outlet upon rotation of the plug when it is partly inserted into the spring-loaded plate. The spring-loaded plate device includes a hollow housing, a faceplate having holes for receiving prongs on an electric plug and a compression spring. The face plate is movably mounted within the housing and rotatable within the housing, with the compression spring extending between the face plate and the housing such that the housing extends forward of the face plate and toward an electrical outlet when the adapter is mounted over the electrical outlet. As the prongs on the electrical plug are inserted into the socket in the electrical outlet, the housing extends around the prongs, covering the prongs. This apparatus protects against engaging prongs of the plug when it is partially plugged into the outlet. The Lee devices are complex and expensive to manufacture because they require precisely fitting parts. The Lee devices do discourage insertion of metallic objects, such as paper clips, into a socket by children and provide a means for hiding the holes in the socket from children.
A variety of other socket covers and plugs have been devised to make it difficult for children to insert fingers or other objects into unused electrical outlets. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,011,419 and 5,813,873 disclose cumbersome and expensive slidable plates having slots for the prongs on a plug which are biased to a position wherein the slots on the slidable cover are not aligned with openings in the outlet. For inserting a plug into an electrical outlet, the slidable cover is moved to a position wherein the slots are aligned with openings in the electrical outlet so that the prongs can move through the slots in the slidable cover into the electrical outlet.
A swivel outlet cover is also commercially available which replaces existing outlet plates. A spring-loaded swivel cover having holes formed therein which conform to the configuration of an electrical outlet socket can be rotated for aligning holes in the cover with the holes in the socket for insertion of a plug. The cover swivels to a closed position preventing access to the holes in the electrical outlet socket when the outlet is not in use. This cover is popular with outdoor ground fault protected outlets for both 110 V and 220 V electric sources.
The swivel outlet cover and the slidable covers aid in preventing children from putting fingers or small objects into the electrical outlet socket. However, when a plug is partially inserted into the outlet socket, portions of the prongs are exposed which may result in electrical shock if contacted.
Other protective devices include covers that fit over unused electrical outlets which can be removed by squeezing and lifting the cover from the outlet. Completely obstructive outlet plugs made of insular plastic are also available which fit into standard electrical outlets to help protect children from electrical shock.
A long felt need exists for an electrical outlet cover, which serves a dual function of discouraging and resisting insertion of small objects into an unused electrical socket, which also esthetically obscures the socket thereby protecting against unintended engagement of prongs or blades on an electric plug with the socket.